Common Cause of Colorado, Mi Familia Vota Education Fund and the Service Employees International Union sued Colorado Secretary of State Mike Coffman, alleging that his office had violated the National Voter Registration Act by illegally purging about 31,000 eligible voters from the rolls 90 days before the election.

The state insists the actual number is smaller.

OK, I finished The Big Sort, and I have to say that while I agree with the observations of the author and his collegues, and I understand their point, I think that in the scope of their exploration they have missed an important factor.

Far be it from me to nit-pick people much smarter than myself, but they have thoroughly explored the results of insulating yourself from the "sanity check"...you and your little group become progressivly more extreme.  (Sanity check: compareing your perceptions of the world to those of others as a way to moderate your opinions).

But they don't seem to address at all the power of the reality check.

Granted, the reality check takes longer, because the conflict of an erroneous position with reality generally has to build up consequences to the point where you can no longer ignore them.

However, we have been here before.  There was a time when the world-view of most people was one completely inconsistant with reality...and eventually people began to depart from the demon-haunted view of the world, and turn toward a more reasoned approach.  Some people require a much more strenuous thump-on-the-head than others...but eventually, most people come around.

I'm not sure how much off the track our society has to become before we reach that tipping-point when we return to sense...but I'd like to think we are approaching it right now.

I guess we'll find out soon.

This paragraph from The Big Sort beautifully sums up what I have been trying to say about why I think religious conservatives and corporations are so interested in pushing "Libertarianism"...

"The continued distrust of government, however, has reduced the size and scope of public life.  Democracy has become so balky that the normal processes of representative government are being replaced by systems of issue brokering that are only quasi-representative.  In Austin, public policy is often negotiated among interest groups, with government only ratifying decisions behind the scenes."

It shrinks the power of the individual to influence government, and increases the reliance on what Bill Bishop calls "tribes".

Most alarming, for instance, is the "tribe" that brought Palin to the front of the line for VP...when there were so many more mainstream, and more qualified options.  (I believe that I have heard the name Olympia Snow bandied about).

Here's another excerpt from the book to let you know what happens to REAL mavericks in the Republican party:

"Hey Sheila, it's time for you to become a true independent."  With that, Minnesota senate minority leader Dick Day told state senator Sheila Kiscaden that she would have to vacate her office, the one she had shared for twelve years with other Republican state senators.  Day called a sergent at arms, and Kiscaden was escorted out of her office and out of the Republican Party."

In other words, they get RINO hunted.  Sheila ran as a fiscal conservative in 1992...but she wasn't socially conservative enough, and didn't kiss the NRA's ass enough.

So...

"In 2002, the National Rifle Association (NRA) and a conservative education organization jammed the local nominating caucus in Rochester.  "I went to the endorsing convention, and the gun guys were out," Kiscaden recalled.  "Some came up and said, "We gotcha.  We've got rid of you."

Fortunatly, she ran as an independant and won in 2002...and caucused with the Republicans until the day she was thrown out of the office...and told that the Republicans would spend $200,000 to beat her if she ran again.

Nice.

Some people ask why the Republican party no longer represents "get the government off my back" values?  They can thank, in part, the NRA.

Please don't vote for Bemidji homeboy Tim Tinglestad for the Supreme Court.

He's a religious wack-a-loon-wing-nut.  He's an Ori operative.  Scarey person if you like seperation of Church and state.

Vote for Incumbant Paul Anderson instead.

From this site:  (quoting extensivly, hope they don't mind)

As Minnesota Lawyer reports in its Bar Buzz column this week (password required), state Supreme Court Justice Paul Anderson has already launched his '08 re-election campaign effort. His campaign committee is now soliciting funds and other support for the justice.

Anderson will present an interesting test case for Minnesota judicial elections, which so far have not been much impacted by federal court rulings striking down restrictions on judicial campaigning. Many in the legal community have been worried the rulings -- which were made in the White case -- will lead to the big-money highly politicized judicial races experienced in a number of other states. However, since White, judicial races have thus far remained relatively quiet.

But pro-life interests have publicly stated in the past that they would target Anderson when he came up for election because he was on the high court when it issued Doe v. Gomez in 1995. (In the Gomez case, the court struck down a law limiting state medical assistance for abortion to cases of life endangerment and reported rape and incest.)

Whoever decides to take on Anderson will have an uphill battle to fight. First of all, he is a Republican appointee who, in 13 years on the court, has earned a reputation as a moderate voice. Secondly, the longtime justice is also known as being the most gregarious of the seven justices. In fact, he has frequently been called the high court's "goodwill ambassador" due to his amiable disposition and omnipresence at community events and other outreach efforts. I have heard tell that he will serve as a tour guide for almost any student he happens to run into who expresses an interest in the courts. It's going to be pretty tough for an opponent to come at the popular justice if the only arrow in his or her quiver is a single opinion from 12 years ago (which Anderson didn't even write). "Activist judges" should be made of stronger stuff.

But at the moment, I think the best we can hope for is a tumultuous love-hate relationship between two completely diametrically opposed forces that can't seem to function separately, but will never get along with each other.

So, in honor of it being about one week before the polls close on this whole sordid mess...

[update:  Now we know what the Republicans think of Joe-the-plumber, and Joe-the-waiter.  But here's what they think of Josaphine-the-911-operator;  Apparently, she can go "$%^" herself.  Also, Joe-the-little-kid-who-went-to-his-teacher's-wedding"...]

(Hat Tips: Pharyngula and Some Amusing Blog Pun)

Google Neil Simpson, and "hurry up to ensure that all waitstaff vote for mccain".

It is proof that the conservatives don't understand the Obama plan.  Under Obama's plan, people who make under $250,000 will get a tax cut. (note:  I changed the previously erroneous "$150,000 to $250,000)

So, to demonstrate how this is bad, Neal fantasizes about how much fun it would be to tell the waitstaff that he will give all of their tips to homeless people instead.

Unless you know some waiters who make more than $250,000 in a year, I'm thinkin that the only thing this will demonstrate to the waitstaff is that Republicans are mean-spirited dick-wads in their real life too.

Although, Neal once again shows his moderate side by acknowledging that the waitstaff earn their tips, rather than treating it as charity (or tipping really well only if they wanted to ask you out, and then never tipping again when you say you are married) like most of the openly religious conservative customers I encountered in my time working as waitstaff (personal favorites, the ones who left religious tracts in leiu of monetary tips).

And he thinks that this will convince them to vote against the guy who says he'll give them a tax cut.

Now, I think it is more likely that Obama will not actually be able to pull off the tax cut for the middle class because there will be too many Republicans in Congress and they will get in the way...

...or it is possible that he is only touting the tax-cut to blow smoke up the skirts of the working class...

but if you take what his plan actually says it will do...it will let the waiter keep more of his tips, and just make the upper 1% pay more of their fair share.

I'd rather kiss a wookie.

'nuff said.

I’ve read more than one conservative commentator who points out that McCain surrounds himself in his campaign with many more accomplished and capable women, and thus is better on wage parity and opportunity for women than Obama.

However, given McCain’s history with women, it looks to me more like a case of Lazarus Long syndrome rather than being a beacon of equality and opportunity.

Not that there’s anything wrong with a guy wanting to be surrounded by accomplished women who are dedicated to his success and vision, I just suspect that it is more for the benefit of McCain than for the benefit of the campaign or the women, and it should not be assumed that McCain’s public policies will follow from any sort of feminist thought or dedication to a feminist outlook…liberal or conservative.

I heard about it here.

But right now I am reading this book:

I got it from Ben (The once and hopefully future Eclectics Anonymous)

thanks BEN!

And say, is anyone interested in a blog-based discussion of The Big Sort?

I got a letter from a reader about her dad sending her a "letter" from "Dr." Dobson's organization.

It is basically a story of what the next four years will be like after an Obama presidency.

And apparently, Barak Obama is going to surrender us to "the gay agenda".

I thought about coming up with all sorts of clever stuff to say about it, but I just don't have the heart.

The letter is a disgusting, hateful, paranoid, raving peice of trash.

And PZ Myers just did a better job on it than I would.

So I'm just going to give you a link to a horrifying video of the sorts of people who believe this stuff and feel they should run the country to protect us from "the gays". 

(Hat tip: Jason Bock - thanks alot Jason...I've been having trouble falling asleep since I watched it)

Dr.Kiki is just cute as a button, yes?

(Hat Tip:   A Blog Around the Clock)

Dump Bachmann is in overdrive.

Take a look at this article detailing her "close associations" with unsavory radical leftists from the '60's.

The first one was part of a group called “O” which apparently took over a warehouse with an army of thugs armed with pipes, firebombed a truck, and reportedly had a large weapons cache in Minneapolis.  Then he worked closely with Bachmann trying to promote PRT (Personal Rapid Transit) and then went to prison for taking bribes as a Minneapolis City Councilman.

I didn't fact check it, but I’m sure someone will.  In the mean-time, just treat it like entertainment.  And really, read the whole thing because the story of the second "Radical" is hilarious. (Hint:  It's Norm Coleman and evidentally he used to smoke a LOT of pot)

Ya know, I’m re-thinking my position.  I now think Bachmann is right.  Perhaps we SHOULD do an exhaustive search into the histories and associations of our nation’s leadership.  Not to ferret out any “un-American” views…but just because what the country needs right now is a good, hearty belly laugh…

I think that all of the Minnesota politicians from both parties should get together in the same place and denounce the people who vandalized the homes of six Minnesota politicians.

There is no reason to suspect that anyone from either party was the culprit, since representatives from both parties were attacked.  Also, political moderates like Amy Klobuchar and Jim Ramstad were hit in addition to more divisive figures like Michelle Bachmann and Keith Ellison.

And while they are at it they can also decry the vandalizm to the Obama and Franken campaign headquarters.  (I haven't heard of anything happening to the McCain headquarters here, will someone let me know if they have heard anything?)

They should then all step forward and personally vow to keep their rhetoric to the issues, and to their opponents positions on the issues.  They should vow to avoid character assassination and dehumanizing rhetoric.

And I hope the police catch these maniacs who did this. There is no place in Minnesota for acts of political terroristic threat in the dark of night.

Then again, sometimes the Ori are hilarious.

This website warns that Barak Obama's "tribe" in Kenya is working round the clock to cast witch spells to make McCain look like a doddering old coot, and calls on Christians to do constant spiritual warfare over McCain and Palin.

(Hat Tip:  Pharyngula)

Hallowed are the Ori. (warning, chillingly disturbing.)

Update: The above link is broken.  Jason found it in the "wayback machine" though: 

(Hat Tip:  Pharyngula)

This will make you feel better (warning, vulgar...but not profane like the link above)

(Hat Tip:  Erudite Redneck)

We've got the profane above, and we've got the vulgar in the middle...so I thought that I would give you some Nathan Fillion "porn" just to round it out.  Probably not safe for work, even though it's not really porn...cause it's a little sick.  BUT IT'S NATHAN FILLION!!!

(Hat Tip:  Northern Misfit)

Palin on the 700 Club:

Why she doesn’t give many interviews:

"Well, sometimes it just doesn't do any good. I mean, you set yourself up just to continually be mocked, you know, so sometimes that doesn't do any good, but what I have done in this campaign is in reaching out to the American voters through our rallies, through the one-on-ones, through the small meetings that we've had trying to get our message out, our plans for this country out there minus the filter of some of the filter of the mainstream media because, because that filter as, as we see every day when we turn on the news, too often there is this, this opaqueness, there is this, this spin, this contortion of a person's words and intentions and that does more harm than good, so it's a greater challenge for me and for John McCain to try to get our message out there without that filter of I think some of the world's media. It's a greater challenge, but again, it does make us work harder and try to reach more people. That's why we're traveling around so hard and fast and aggressively across the U.S. is to reach more people."

Not knowing how to get your message out effectively through the media is a basic Presidential skill in our day-and-age.  Hell, even “W” could do it.  In fact, while he couldn’t handle a pretzel while laying on a couch…he somehow managed to find some people who could manage him managing the media, and quite frankly, they were brilliant at it.  They had a lap-dog press for six whole years.  How hard could it be?

"And it's not just that question, but it was some of the other questions that she asked me also and, and it was, I guess, my being such an outsider from the Washington elite and the media elite is the questions she kept asking me were, I kept thinking why aren't you asking me things that really, really matter right now about our economy and about how we're going to win the war and about protecting our constitutional rights in this country, some of the questions that were being fired at me, I was kind of impatient and I think that showed, it's like come on, Katie, let's talk about the things that really matter. And two, the other part of that was I knew that whatever I threw out there, whether it's the USA Today, or New York Times or whatever I said, that's just more fodder for someone to not only mock, but tear apart and presume to at least claim that that is a reflection of my own beliefs, so you know, so I just felt like, let's just move on to the next question."

Oh for real?  You were afraid to answer the question because you were afraid you would be mocked, and your words would be torn apart and spread around and made to seem to mean something different than what you meant?  Now come on.  There are any number of policy publications out there that you could have been reading as Governor that would be completely respectable.  Even something like the Cato Journal would probably have been found interesting, if partisan.  I hear that Cambridge has a public policy Journal , Duke, Cornell, Harvard…they all have public policy Journals.  Vanity Fair has some snappy politcal stuff in it.  There's the National Review....Harpers would have been a nice politically ecumenical touch, Reason magazine would have netted you interest from the Ron Paul crowd... I mean if you had said “The USA Today” I can see your point but…oh God...you would have said “The USA Today” wouldn’t you?

And I totally get drawing a blank trying to find the best answer.  I get it…really.  If Katie Couric was there with a microphone asking for my reading list, I’d freeze up too, and I have a whole lot of leather-bound books with really little print in my library.

But YOU are running for Vice President of the country!  Holy crap woman!  You froze up because you didn’t think it was important to give examples of where you get your decision-making information, and you didn’t want to say anything because you were afraid they would pick on you?  This is not High School.  You don’t get to do that.  You were given an opportunity to show that you are prepared, and you failed.  You were given an opportunity to explain in a mature and meaningful way WHY you failed…and you failed.

Jesus. And this is how she comes across in the FAVORABLE, friendly media.  The 700 Club!  It doesn’t get any less “Gotcha” than that!

There’s also a clip of her talking about religion.  It was not interesting.  I was hoping that she would say that she is just your normal, every-day garden variety Pentecostal.  I don’t care if she’s rolling around on the floor or whatever while she’s praying…but I would like for her to denounce the Third Wave Movement that she seems to be associated with.  I’d like to hear her say she has nothing to do with Joel’s Army, and I’d like to hear her say that she can govern our country with an eye towards the future, and not to affect some apocalyptic end-times milestones.  It would be great to know that she wasn’t looking forward to and working to hasten an end-of-times blood-bath that would kill most of her constituents:

Brody: There have been some shots taken at you…regarding your Christian faith…The Pentecostal stuff, the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Do you want to clear up exactly what you believe in and so that the record can be set straight a little bit? Because there have been some editorials and others taking shots at you regarding --

Palin: Yeah, and I think the saddest part of that is that faith, not just my faith, faith and God in general has been mocked through this campaign, and that breaks my heart and that is unfair for others who share a faith in God and chose to worship our Lord in whatever private manner that they deem fit and my faith has always been pretty personal. I haven't really worn it on my sleeve. I haven't been out there preaching it. I've always been of the mind that you caalk the walk. You just don't have to be talking the talk about your beliefs, so just wanting maybe my life to be able to reflect my faith. So it's always been pretty personal and that was kind of a surprise in the last couple of months that people would misconstrue and spin anything that has to do with my faith or anybody else's and turn it into something to be mocked. That's very sad. I don't think that there's anything that I can do about it, so you know, I won't, I won't whine or complain about it, but nobody is going to convince me that my foundation of faith is not good for me and for my family no matter the mocking, no matter what anybody says about it, I'm going to keep plugging away at this and I'm going to keep seeking God's guidance and His wisdom and His favor and His grace, for me, for my family, for this campaign, for our nation. Again no matter what anybody else says about it it's between me and God, and I am so thankful that that he has strengthened me with this understanding and this belief that I can count on Him. I can reach out to Him asking for that strength, asking for the blessings that He so freely gives and I don't know how anybody would want to do this if they didn't have real strong faith in God that He's got it all under control.

I don’t  feel reassured.  Sarah, it is between you and the voters whether or not you believe that it is your job to work to bring about God’s rule on Earth…whether you believe, as some say THEY believe, that you are modern day Esther brought forth to renew the nation for God.  In absence of a denial when you’ve had plenty of opportunity to set the record straight and explain the massive amount of video out there of you  with people linked to the Third Wave Movement (considered a Heresy by main-stream Pentecostals, by the way), and some pretty despicable actions…I’m left wondering and I don’t care for it.  At least Obama gave a big speech about his pastor and his faith.  It helped me understand the ties.

Anyway, there’s a LOT more video at this site.  Go check it out if you have the stomach.

And here's a video where they call here a "Modern Day Esther"

Operation Bagdhad Pups helps soldiers bring home dogs that they befriend during their deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Here's a story about Rachet the dog and his human.

Colin "anthrax" Powell has endorsed Barak Obama.

What next?

He was there at the precipitous push to get us into Iraq, and now he'll be there for the precipitous push to get us out?

Dude changes direction quicker than a raquetball.

And speaking of things that change direction suddenly...I've mentioned that I'm disappointed in McCain, right?  He missed the boat with that "Joe the fake Plumber" guy.

The old McCain would have gone with someone more like "Sheriff Billy McGee".

Minnesota's "Skipper" to  Alaska's "Caribou Barbie"...

...NOW  She walks, she talks, take a listen to some of the things she says:

Shorter Michele Bachmann: "Obama is a terrorist":

"But I'd totally kiss him":

Bachmann said her positions have been "quite different" from Bush's."

"If the presidency would somehow go to Barack Obama, I would welcome him to the 6th District as well," she said after the debate. "As a matter of fact, I would put my hand on his shoulder and give him a kiss if he wanted to."

I guess she's happy to kiss a "terrorist", as long as it isn't another chick.

And then there's the whole "if only there were some investigation into the government, searching for un-American actions on the part of government officials...if only there were SOME WAY to you, know, investigate them....the press isn't doing it...wink wink...nudge nudge...hedge hedge".  She doesn't have the guts to actually call for another HUAC, but she'll set the ball for someone else.

The whole time I was watching that video I expected it was building to a single sentence:  "Why nationalize Industry when you can nationalize The People?"

FOX news says "leave Joe alone!"

They don't seem to think it was cowardly for McCain to push Joe forward and say "Hey, don’t argue with me;  Here's Joe, argue with him."

Obama totally panders to Joe, and the media goes "Hey whose this Joe guy?"

They find out that Joe is doesn't have the best background (not the worst, though - he's apparently NOT related to Charles Keating) for an iconic representative of the American voter.

And now FOX is mad at Obama and the government?

Did Obama decide for Joe to ask a misleading question?  Did Obama decide to push Joe forward to distract from the fact that McCain doesn't have answers that resonate with most of the American people so far?  Was it Obama that made the press short-sighted and fickle?

How is this supposed to be Obama's fault?  Turns out that the conservatives are a little confused.  They don't think Obama is perfect, but apparently they think he controls the universe.

I'm going to use Karen's line in this.  Obama's not the messiah...but I'm voting for him anyway.

No, no, no, Michele, it's "kiss and tell"...not "tell and kiss."

Sheesh.  Republican hacks can't do anything right.

Although, WRT the situation with Bush, you are right in that the lady has the perogative to change her mind.

Then the AFA wouldn't have to send out letters like this, and incite people to violence and hate:

before you know it, they'll go from burning books to burning people.

Hey AFA!  It's true, the America where wealth is artificially redistributed by a rigged system from the middle class to the upperclass is disappearing.  People in the suburbs are tired of going to the foodshelf to cut costs on groceries to afford their insurance and their mortgage payments as their cost of living goes up but their wages stay the same.  Retirees are tired of going to the food shelves to save money for their medicines.  Working people are tired of paying the oil companies taxes for them.  Maybe the top 1% can sell a jet ski or two and buy a Bible.  It seems to have kept the working class content for a good long time...

Well, actually there'll probably just be minimal changes that basically amount to topical appeasement measures that you can quietly undermine over the next three decades or so, and you can do this all over again.  But hey, that's politics, right?

[UPDATE:  And the downfall begins...PZ Myers has a great story on a cool abiogenisis update!]

Please help us get this information into the hands of as many people as possible by forwarding it to your entire e-mail list of family and friends. Please vote! Our children's future depends on it! October 15, 2008 Dear Teresa, In my 70 years, I have never seen an election where coverage was so one-sided and biased or where censorship by the liberal media was so widely practiced and where media coverage was so slanted as I have seen in this election process. Their plan is working. The only chance conservatives have is to make sure they care enough to vote. If the liberals win the upcoming election, America as we have known it will no longer exist. This country that we love, founded on Judeo-Christian values, will cease to exist and will be replaced by a secular state hostile to Christianity. This “city set on a hill” which our forefathers founded, will go dark. The damage will be deep and long lasting. It cannot be turned around in the next election, or the one after that, or by any election in the future. The damage will be permanent. That is why it is so important for you to vote and to encourage friends and family to vote. This is one election where your vote really counts.

Sincerely, Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman American Family Association

I don't think McCain realized that what he was saying to most Americans was:

"Feel sorry for Joe. Poor Joe only makes somewhere between two and thirty times more than you do, and he wants that tax cut so that he can hire one or two of you to pay the crappy wages that he used to make and dreamed of escaping and make more money for himself.

Now, you may want to take the opportunity of Obama's tax cuts and incentives and start a business so you can work for yourself and make the full amount off of your own labors, but Joe needs that money more than you, so he can grow crappy jobs for you to have.  Joe made his nut, and now he wants to reap the benefits, by protecting his position and interest in holding down those beneath him.

Vote for me,and I'll make sure that Joe can hire you to work a crappy low-paid job like the one he dreamed of getting out of so long ago.

So just say 'OK, Joe, you need that tax break more than I do, you go ahead and have it instead of me.'  vote for me, my friends, and I'll make sure that Joe's taken care of.  And I'll balance the budget too, by taking a hatchet to the programs and projects that benefit you."

From this day on, I think that all tetherballs should be called "Joe the Plumber"...because they get batted around back and forth almost as much as "Joe" did tonight.  If I were Joe, and nobody but John McCain and Barak Obama knew who I was, I'd keep it a secret.  Joe was subjected to so much pity and pandering from both candidates that if his identity was known, he'd have to turn in his "man card".

Prediction:

The News will be over-run with the sound-bite of Obama saying that Joe Biden worked hard on the "violence against womens act".

My McCain impressions:  Did he fire his speech-writer, or does he think his base can't read?  He keeps re-iterating the same tired, debunked charges over and over again.  Nothing but old lies repeated, complaining about unfair negative campaigning (huh?).  Strange that almost-slip about finding the best people in the worl...uh, the US for the Supreme Court.  I don't think it really means anything, it was just a slip...but it was funny.

Obama impressions:  Cool, collected, represented himself well.  Didn't get rattled by McCain lying about him not disavowing that John Lewis' characterizations of the Palin crowds.  A little light on specifics...but better than the past.  He's no Adlai Stevenson...but then again, Adlai lost because he trusted the American people to be interested in detailed and complete discussion of the issues, and he lost to a guy with a catchy tune written by a composer of candy jingles.

McCain mockingly dismisses the idea of the "health" if the mother in the abortion question.  Nice.  Apparently, he's never heard of women diagnosed with arterial weaknesses or fast-growing cancers that need immediate treatment, or any number of other conditions.

WRT the education thing:  Why does it have to be a choice between pillaging the public trust to give public money to religious schools or forcing kids to stay in failing schools?  Minnesota has school choice...you can go to any publicly funded school that you can get into...including college your last two years of High School. 

McCain is for vouchers - in otherwords, stealing public money for private profit.

McCain takes a petty snarky parting shot.  You'd think he was running for King of the Internet bloggers, not POTUS.

Ending statements: McCain:  "We have to make health care avoid...affordable..." LOL.  No, I don't think it's telling, but it's funny!

Obama:  Remembers to thank McCain and moderator (did McCain do that?  I missed it if he did) -politness points!  If he says "change" one more time, I'm going to scream.  Love the "promise" hesitation...followed by a sort of dithering platitude.  It's almost like he was going to say something really bold, but then chickened out.

[Update:  Jenny informs me that McCain thanked The college, the moderator, and Obama.  Also, I liked a comment that one of the guys over at Erudite Redneck said.  Joe the plumber makes as much in a day as he makes in a month.  My comment is, why doesn't Joe think it's in his best interest to pay to help maintain the society that benefits him above most of his fellow countrymen?  It seems weird to me that people standing at the top of the ladder always seem to want to kick the bottom of the ladder.

I mean, I dont think anyone resents people who work hard to make thirty times as much as they do...but if they're working hard and paying their own bills, I think it's a little bit of a stretch to ask them to feel pity for some guy whose makeing thrity times as much and say "Oh no...no...YOU take the tax cut instead, you need it so much more than I do.]

Let's see it people!

I WANT A GOD-OFF!

Two bulls, two piles of wood.

McCain Prays to HIS God.

Obama prays to HIS God.

We'll see whose offering gets accepted.

I'm all eyes.

(Hat Tip:  Erudite Redneck)

PBS running poll on Sarah Palin. AFA counters by running poll on Barack Obama.

October 13, 2008

Dear Teresa,

PBS, the most liberal network in America (funded, incidentally, by your tax dollars) is running a poll concerning Sarah Palin. Their question is: Do you think Sarah Palin is qualified to serve as Vice President of the United States?

Since PBS and the liberal media will widely publicize the results, AFA has decided to run a poll concerning the qualifications of Barack Obama.

The question: Do you think Barack Obama is qualified to serve as President of the United States?  Take the Poll!

PBS refuses to show the number of individuals voting in their poll. It could be that only a small handful voted. AFA will show the number voting.

Please send this to your family and friends.

 A wacky fundy (if you want to read for yourself, just e-mail me and I'll e-mail you a link, he doesn't like for me to link to him) just did a piece on how non-Christians unfairly bring up the Crusades and the Inquisition, and the rampant hypocrisy of many Christians…and he points out that the failure of humans doesn’t make the Bible or the Gospel any less true.

In other words, you can’t say that when people violate a philosophy, that proves the invalidity of the philosophy.

I guess you can’t disprove a tautology (people who are not good examples of a philosophy are not good examples of a philosophy)…but where does that leave us?

And anyway, he misses that fact that when people raise the Crusades and the Inquisition, and pedophile priests (and the people who constantly excuse their behavior), they are not usually arguing against the assertion that the Bible is 100% literally true.  That is usually done with provable, demonstrative facts (evidence saying the earth is more than 6,000 years old, evidence that evolution happened, etc.)

The anecdotal evidence of Christians behaving badly is a direct contradiction to the constant, hubristic claims that religion should rule the world because it makes you a better person, improves society, and is responsible for everything good in the world (Christians have publicly claimed that there would be no medical advancement without religion because Christians built hospitals, for instance, or claim that slavery was the result of atheism, but Christians did away with it; they have even lied about Darwin, saying he approved of slavery and that his theory validated it, when it is explicit in his writings that he stood against it – supposedly, Christians have a moral foundation against lying, too)

Its a repudiation of a concentrated effort to "take over" America for religion...not an attempt to disprove the factual basis of an ancient document.

It's like saying "Those silly non-religious people, they keep using screw-rivers to turn screws...don't they know that screwdrivers can't do ANYTHING about driving in nails?  They are so stupid".

Trying to re-direct this evidence from the claims it effectivly addresses, and trying to make it address a tautology may be good enough for people who already want to believe, but it actually just makes them look dumb, especially when it is from someone who constantly accuses others of using strawman tactics, and then complains when people characterize their apologetics as “irrational”.

Isn’t it good enough to allow that some people DO find religion useful, individually, in their private lives? That they CAN, find a way to make that tool build something good, but that it has NOT, historically been beneficial for humanity as a whole when made the centerpiece of a culture?

The very fact that David Barton has to invent quotes to “prove” the founders wanted a theocracy seems to invalidate the claim that “returning”  to those roots (which never existed, or you wouldn’t have to fake the evidence)will benefit us in any way.

Finally, he points out that he shouldn't have to feel responsible for things that happened a long time ago, that he didn't do.

Absolutely.

But that's not the purpose of bringing it up now.  The purpose of bringing those things up now, is to point out that if Christians continue to support a group of people working to create a theocratic plutocracy on our country, they WILL BE responsible for the things they do...and history tells us that they things they do will not be good.

[Update: and so it begins with mob rule, and don't forget, the fundies believe "all your law are belong to us" (Michele Bachmann says the judges do not have the authority to interpret the law - a common conservative misconception).  Also, more lies to incite violence against the media.  Ann Coulter will be so happy when they finally fulfill her dream of open season on the press.  Remember:  You can run, but you cannot hide.]

And they say "All your law are belong to us"

Or maybe it's "I can haz doll burnings now."

Or maybe it is "You can not haz car startings!"

Or "